Tag Archives: Legislation

Building Parliamentary Oversight in Armenia

By Caleb Mulugeta, Undergraduate student in the UT Government Department and Economics Department

If I had to use one word to describe my time in Armenia, it would be resilience. I do not mean resilience on my part, but rather the resilience of the Armenian people. Armenians have repeatedly been dealt a difficult hand by history, enduring systematic attacks on their culture and attempts to eradicate their presence from portions of their ancestral homeland. For centuries, Armenians have faced invasion, foreign domination, and political upheaval while nevertheless preserving a distinct language, faith, and cultural heritage. My work with the NDI Armenia placed that resilience on full display by allowing me to engage with different parts of Armenian society through election observation, public opinion research, discussions with parliamentary staff and civil society representatives, and my own research into parliamentary oversight of the executive.

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Youth Participation in North Macedonian Democracy

By Jackson Nichols, Undergraduate student in the UT Government Department and Sociology Department

Zdravo! Ever since I found out about the UT Embedded Scholars program from one of my favorite professors, shoutout to Dr. Kiril Avramov, I knew I wanted to be a part of it. As someone who had never been out of the country, I could not say no to the opportunity to experience a new culture, a new hemisphere, and, of course, a new political system. Little did I know that North Macedonia, this small country—roughly the size of Vermont with the population of the greater Austin area—would surpass any expectations I could have had, both in work and lived experience.

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Witnessing History in Albania

By Trinity Elkins, Graduate student at the UT LBJ School of Public Affairs

Përshëndetje! This summer I had the incredible privilege of working with the National Democratic Institute in Tirana, Albania, a country with a deeply complex political history. Between 1944 and 1985, the reigning dictator, Enver Hoxha, completely closed Albania off to the rest of the world. Citizens were not allowed to cross the border (in or out), own property, practice religion, or express any sort of individualism. Given his isolationist agenda, Hoxha was immensely paranoid that Albania was on the brink of a foreign invasion, so he ordered the construction of 173,000 bunkers to be built over the 10,500 square miles within the country. He idealized and aligned himself with Albania’s 15th century national hero, Gjergj Kastrioti (Skanderbeg), in order to legitimize his rule.

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NDI Albania Interns Wrap-up Parliamentary Work in Tirana

Two 2026 Embedded Scholars spent their summer internships supporting democracy programs with the National Democratic Institute in Tirana, Albania. Their summer work focused on democratic research in transparency and anti-corruption initiatives, as well as the relationship between civic education and public participation in democratic institutions.

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Civic Education and Prospects for Democracy: Reflections from Albania

By Elizabeth Donaway, PhD student in the UT Government Department

This summer I had the opportunity to work with NDI Albania, where I focused on the relationship between civic education, civic participation, and democratic institutions. Much of my work centered on the Albanian Parliament and its Parliamentary Institute, a nonpartisan institution that supports members of Parliament through research, library services, and civic education programming. Through this work, I came to appreciate that democracy assistance is not only about elections, parties, or formal institutional reform. It is also about helping citizens understand that democratic institutions belong to them and helping institutions create meaningful ways for citizens to participate.

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Transparency and Accountability in Bosnia and Herzegovina

By Ella Ponthier, Graduate of the UT LBJ School of Public Affairs

Zdravo! My name is Ella, and I am a May 2025 graduate of the LBJ School of Public Affairs. I received my master’s degree in Global Policy Studies with a focus on Central and Eastern European Studies. During my time at the LBJ School, I developed a strong interest in coursework on informal institutions and the state of democracy in post-communist states. Communism in this region ended, seemingly overnight, in the 1990s—but post-communist states did not automatically transform into consolidated democracies. Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of those countries.

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Mapping Migration, Sense of Belonging, and Birthright Citizenship Laws in the Americas

By P. Salomé Valdivieso Santillán, Graduate student at the UT Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies

Our research project began with the aim of studying how different birthright nationality laws shape migrant integration in four diverse settings: Panama, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and the United States. These countries differ not only in terms of language, policies, and economies, but also in the levels of inclusion towards migrants, which significantly impact how we conceptualize the south-north divide. The United States, for instance, grants citizenship to anyone born on its soil, while Colombia and the Dominican Republic impose stricter conditions that can leave children of migrants in legal limbo. Panama is a rare case, given the antecedents of the “Crisol de Razas” (melting pot) policies, where a melting pot ideology, similar to that of the United States, has been established as one of the primary identity markers of the country. 

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Supporting Parliamentary Strengthening in North Macedonia

By Avin French, Undergraduate student in the UT Government Department

I cannot say that North Macedonia was the place I thought I would spend my summer last year, but after spending six weeks in this alluring place, engaging with the people, exposing myself to the culture, and studying the nation, I could not be more grateful for the opportunity Embedded Scholars has given me at the National Democratic Institute (NDI) in North Macedonia.

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From Texas Campaigns to Legislative Strengthening Abroad

By Emma Niewald, Graduate student at the UT LBJ School of Public Affairs

After interning with the National Democratic Institute in North Macedonia this summer, I feel more committed than ever to pursuing a career in the field of Rule of Law in the Balkans when I graduate next year. Though my path to a career in this space hasn’t been direct, it’s what I’ve always dreamed of. I’m a political consultant with 12 years of policy experience, ten of which I’ve spent in electoral politics. I graduated from Austin College with a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and French in 2012. After graduation, I interned with nonprofits in Washington, D.C., including the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund and the Center for National Policy. 

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Fighting Corruption and Advancing Civic Engagement in North Macedonia

By Arion Moore, Undergraduate student in the UT Government Department and Liberal Arts Honors Program

The time I have spent this summer in Skopje, North Macedonia has been an unforgettable experience that I will look back on with fond memories and invaluable lessons throughout the rest of my academic journey. As a Government major in the University of Texas at Austin Liberal Arts Honors program, the work I engaged in with the National Democratic Institute (NDI) aligned perfectly with my academic and professional pursuits and my desire to contribute to the promotion of democracy.

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Building Strong Democracies: Elections, Lawmaking, and Civic Education 

By Alejandra Vadillo, Undergraduate student in the UT Mexican American Studies Department and Communications Department

This summer, I had the privilege to carry out my fellowship with International IDEA in Panama City, Panama. Working closely with the Institute of Democratic Studies (INED) at the Electoral Tribunal of Panama, I collaborated with some of the sharpest minds in the field to tackle complex issues facing Panama’s democracy, as well as others around the world.

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Bridging Borders: Cultural and Political Thoughts from a Texan in Santiago 

By Taylor Crownover, Undergraduate student in the UT Sociology Department and Plan II Honors Program

Upon arriving in Santiago, Chile, it dawned on me that I was further south than I had ever been in my life! Despite this, the time difference with Texas is just one hour ahead. Here I am, on the opposite side of the world, yet aligned longitudinally with my home. This realization has persisted throughout my first month in Chile, where cultural differences are strikingly evident, yet abounding moments of familiarity are also present as I continue immersing myself in the city. 

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AI, Social Media, and Democracy

By Tien Vo, Undergraduate student in the UT Government Department, Mathematics Department, and Polymathic Scholars Honors Program

I recently graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with degrees in government and math. This summer I got to work with International IDEA through an internship organized by the UT Government Department and two amazing professors, Ashley Moran and Zachary Elkins. It is a newly developed internship program to study democratic institutional development in Latin America, and it has been an honor being one of the students chosen to participate in this program.

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Women’s Political Participation in Panama

By Alexys Aquino, Undergraduate student in the UT Government Department, International Relations and Global Studies Department, and Spanish and Portuguese Department

I’m happy to report that humidity is universal, although sometimes it seems Texas has a monopoly on it! Along with the humidity, Panama has no shortage of lush greenery, kind strangers, and strong coffee. I had never been to Central America before this internship with International IDEA and UT Austin, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Now that I’ve been in Panama for over a month, I’ve started to get the hang of it all, from using the metro to navigating the temperamental elevators at the Electoral Tribunal. Despite all that I have learned, I’ve found that working in a multinational environment on topics as important as gender parity in Panamanian politics teaches you something new constantly.

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Fellows Team Grows in Chile!

Four graduate and undergraduate UT students are conducting their Summer 2023 work in Chile at the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA).

Alejandra Jimenez, Guillermo Pérez, and Tien Vo started their work at the IDEA Chile Office on June 1, and they’re joined this week by Matt Martin, fresh in from IDEA’s Panama Office. The fellows are supporting a range of legal and constitutional reform projects in Chile, with Chile’s current constitutional reform process underway.

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